Current water-wheel.



L. LEMERT. CURRENT WATER WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1909.

Patented Mai. 8, 1910.

QLE.'

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Mai. 8,

3 SHEETS-SHE [JIM L. LEMERT. CURRENT WATER WHEEL. APPLICATION MLBD MAB. 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 8, 19M).

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'l lllllllllllllll a I llllllll tinnen erstens earns" muon.

LBAN LEMERT, OBROlNSTOWN, ILLNOIS. I

CURRENT WATER-WHEEL.

` of a jetty, so that the workingfhalf of the wheel may be exposed to the current.

An object of this invention is to. form a simple and etlicient water wheel, which will utilize the energy in a flowing stream Without the necessity of building a dani or the like.

'A further object of the invention is to forma'bucket for said water Wheel, which Will be light, and` will be automatically opened and closed and held closed when not exposed to the current.

still further object is to form .an extension of said bucket which Willbe automatically extended outwardly by the opening of said bucket, and will conform to and co eet with said bucket, thus giving an increased surface for the Water to act on.

Y. .These and other objects will be more -tully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

ieerence is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciva modilied diagonal form of the bucket hinged at an angle. to the carrying frame; and Fig. 7 is a detail View of the supporting shaft, showing a single supporting frame therein.

Referring more particularly to the sep -arate parte of the device, l is a base which .supportsa semi-cylindrical frame 2, which Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 5, 1909.

ratei-leen Mar. s, loro.. serial No. 481,229.

is adapted to be set into the side of a bank or jetty, and which in turn supports a head or top-piece 3.' This top or head 3 carries a spider 4l, fastened to it in any suitable manner. At the top of this spider is a raceway lwith balls 5 therein.

in turn supports a shaft 7, to which it is fastened by a set-screw 8'. at its upper extremity a pulley 9 which drives a belt l0 to transmit the power'to the place where it is needed. Any other suitable means besidesthe pulley and belt,

current unter-wheel, may be used. The lower extremity of the shaft 7 lits into a conical shoe 1l of any hard material, such as manganese steel, and is fastened therein by a set-screw l2. This shoe ll bears in a stepbearing 13, which is also of some hard material, such as manganese steel, and is held to the base l by means of any suitable fastening, such as bolts lll. rlhe shoe and step, although intended to bear very little of the weight, are thus readily renewable when ground out by sand siftin in between them.

intermediate of its enc s, the shaft 7 enlihe top 3 at 15, which serves to steadyl it. Fastened to the under side of the top at this pointby means of 'fastenings 1G, is a collar 17, which engages balls 18 carried on a raceway on a collar 19, vhich is fastened to the shaft 7 by means of set-screws Q0.A rlhis collar 19 has a counter member in the collar 2l, fastened lower down to thc shaft 7 by a set-Screw 22. Between the collars 19 and 2l and 'fastened thereto in any suitable, manner, as by bolts 23, is a hollow, cylindrical water-tight frame 24. This frame may be formed in one hollow cylinder, shown in Fig. 7, or, in order to be taken oil in case odamage or because of low water, may be built up in sections of hollow cylinders, as shown in Fig. 5. This frame has concavities in its cylindrical surface, as at 25. 1Within these concavi-ties are slidingly pivoted buckets 26 by means of bolts -27 and slots 28, as shown in Fig. 3.

llastened to the buckets in any suitable manner are flanges 29, which prevent the water eddying out, thus utilizing` the full force of the current. Pivoted to the carrying frame 24 are extension plates or leaves 30. These extensions 30 slide between the This shaft has l y rlhese balls arefio engaged by a raceway on a collar 6, whichv .l :lor converting the power obtained from the tir n bracket 36 held between the buse l und tbc beud'picce 3 in :any suitable manner. This roller 35 acts on the buck of tbe cxtei'ision plates- 30 to close the saine, and thus close the buckets. Within the Vtranne .2 und urranged ut intervals between suid trunie und the bucket are rollers 37 on the shafts 38, which nrc supported in nny suitable nninner between the buse l und the houd 3. These rollers serve to keep tbc luickets closed, when within the (fusing, with the leest possible friction.

The buckets .26 :ire hollow sind wuiec tight, und muy be nntdc single or in builmip sections, us shown respectively in lfigs. l

und 5. l'luch ot' the bucket sections hns u. hitch 32, previously mentioned, extending iii-om tbc top. 'these bitches nre in thc 'forni of pins, und ure udnp'cd to engage in rol-ref spending' watertight openings in tbc bottoni of; the superposcd sections, thereby Joining ,y

successive sections together.

The operation ct' the device nnly readily understood from the ifrucg'oing description. The senii-cyliinlricnl irunie or shell 2 is se(` in thc side ot u bunk or jetty. 'lbis protects one lnuliz of the wutcuwhccl :troni the action of the currcnl; tbc other bult olY the unter-Wheel is exposed to the action et the current, und curb bucket is tin-own outuutoinnlimlly, together with iis extension, by incuns oi ll e roller Il us suon y :is -it enters the current. Euch bucket is closed ou hearing the current, by tbc roller 'The forming of the carrying,` 'l'runie und bucket hollow und writer-tight nmkcs thc-in l buoyant to u certain extent, causing4 tiunn to beu :is little us possible on (he bull bearing' combination with a buse, of` a shaft" sup- 7 en the spider l und on the step 12%.

lluving thus described my invention, wlmi l` cluim as new and desire 'to secure by lleitcrs Pnl-.cnt is:

l. ln :i device of tbc class dcscribrd, the 3 tension for Suid bucket.

ln :i device of the cluss described, tbc

combination with u buckcbot u sliding 1 esimo combination with zi slidinglybinged bucket, ci? an extension for said bucket slidingly engaging seid bucket.

ln. n device of the class described, .the

combination with a lenpged hollow bucket, ci; :in extension lor sind bucket, said extcn`- 'sion being held in sliding engagement Wltli su id bucket by ineens et n guiding strip.

(5. ln e device oi" the class described, the combination with n i'lunged hollow water tight bucket. ot' un extension for Suid bucket, suid extension beingheld in sliding engageincnt with Suid bucket by menus ort a guidiup; strip, and un opening uttuchnient ou suid bucket.

7. in u device of the class described, the combination with :t base, of a vertical shaftsupported by said buse, u bucket-carrying freine carried by said shaft, und vertically pivoted buckets slidingly hinged to said freine.

8. ln :i device of the class described, the combination with u base, of n shaft supported by said buse, u :'lzune supported by suid shaft, buckets carried by said iframe, und sliding extensions for said bucket.

E). ln u dev-ice of the class described, the combination with a buse, of u shut't supportedby said buse, :i hollow waiter-tight iti-:une supported by said shaft, und hollow unter-tight buckets carried by smid freine.

lt). ln u device oi the class described, the) ecinbiiuition with a base, oit u vertical shaft supported by said buse, n frame supportedvby seid elicit., und vertically pivoted buckets slidingly hinged to sind treme.

ll. lin u devicecf tbe class described, the

combination with u base, `of s shaft supported by suid base, u frame supported by Suid shaft, buckets carried by seid 'tnne, und extensions for said buckets hinged to Suid frame.

12. in a device of the class described, tbe combination with n. base, oit' a shaft supported by said buse, u frame supported by said shaft, buckets carried by seid frame, und extensions for scid buckets carried by suid rsnie und having sliding connections with suid buckets.`

EL in at device of the class described, die

ported by said buse, buckets carried by seid sliuft,inenns for opening said buckets,means for closing said buckets, `and separate means 'for holding sid'buckets closed.

14. ln n device of the class described, the

i combination with u buse, of u shaft. supconibinntion with u. bucket ci :i slidin;` ci:Y 4

ported by Suid buse. buckets carried by said dos Y slm-tl', roller nieuus for opening,r said bucketsl roller menus for closing' said buckets, und roller incluis for 'holding suid buckets clust-d.

l5. In :1 device ot thc clnss described, the coinbinution with :i buse, of u frunic sup v ported by suid bnse.'n licud supportcd by suid frame, u spider supported by sind head,

a shaft supported bysaid spider, a hollow water-tight frame supported by said shaft, buckets slidingly hinged to said lastmentioned frameand extension leaves hinged to said last-mentioned frame.

16. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a base, of a frame, a head carried by said frame, a'spider carried by said head, roller bearings on said spider, a collar adapted to engage said roller bearings a shaft supported by said collar, a pairoi collars fixed to said shaft, a bucket-carrying frame fastened to said last-mentioned collars, buckets slidingly. hinged to said lastmentioned frame, and extensions for said buckets hinged to said bucket-carrying frame.

17. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base, of a frame supported by said base, a head carried-by said frame, a spider carried by said head, a'shaft supported by said spider, a pulley on said shaft, a hollow water-'tight bucket-carrying frame supported b`y said sha\ft,hollow Water-tight buckets slidingly hinged toV said bucket-carrying frame, extension leaves for said buckets hinged to said bucket frame y and slidingly engaging said buckets, open ing latches on said buckets, rollerl means for vengaging said latches to open saidbuckets,

roller' means for closing said buckets` and roller means for holding said buckets closed.

18. In la device of the class described, the combination with a base, of a shaft sup l ported by said base, buckets carried by said shaft, sliding extensions on' said buckets,

and means for extending said extensions f simultaneously With the opening ofA thc buckets.'

-19. In a device of theclass described, 4the combination. with a bucket composed of hol- 10W watertight sections, of means for joining i said sections. I 20. In a device of the class described, the

combination With a base, of a shaft supported by said base, and buckets carried by said shaft, said buckets being built up in separable sections.

2l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a base, a shaft supported by said base, a frame supported by said Ishaft, said frame being composed of sections, and bucket sections hinged to said frame sections.

22. In a device of the class described, the i combination With a` base,`.of a shaft supported by said base, a frame built up of hollow Water-tight sections supported by said Shaft, and buckets built up of hollow Watert tight sections carried by said frame.

In' testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

l LABAN LEMERT.

Witnesses: i WM. O. GRIFFITH,

CHESTER A. GRIFFIN-r. 

